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Mixed jabs boost COVID antibodies: study

Sangmi ChaAAP
A South Korean study shows mixed jabs of AstraZeneca then Pfizer boosts antibody levels.
Camera IconA South Korean study shows mixed jabs of AstraZeneca then Pfizer boosts antibody levels. Credit: AAP

A mixed vaccination of first AstraZeneca and then a Pfizer COVID-19 shot boosted neutralising antibody levels by six times compared with two AstraZeneca doses, a study from South Korea shows.

The study involved 499 medical workers - 100 receiving mixed doses, 200 taking two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot and the remainder getting two AstraZeneca shots.

All showed neutralising antibodies, which prevent the virus from entering cells and replicating, and the result of the mixed schedule of vaccines showed similar amounts of neutralising antibodies found from the group that received two Pfizer shots.

A British study last month showed similar results - an AstraZeneca shot followed by Pfizer produced the best T-cell responses, and a higher antibody response than Pfizer followed by AstraZeneca.

The data provides further support for the decision of several countries to offer alternatives to AstraZeneca as a second shot after the vaccine was linked to rare blood clots.

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